Poppycock!

Jonathan Bartley, of the think tank Ekklesia, says "there is a crucial difference between the red poppy and the crucifix. Whilst the red poppy implies redemption can come through war, the Christian story implies that redemption comes through nonviolent sacrifice. The white poppy is much more Christian, in that respect, than the red variety." He was on BBC Radio 4 this morning claiming the moral high ground.

His slur, and it seems that way, is to suggest that those who wear a red poppy are in varying degrees supporting war as a cathartic experience for the soul. Nonsense! Aggressive warmongering has no place within the Christian Faith. However, soldiering to maintain peace is an honourable cause. Jesus recognised faith in the soldiers of His time and various soldiers mentioned in the Gospels spoke up in recognising the Divinity of Christ.

Laying down one's life is never a matter for trivia, but whether it be by violent means or non-violent, the overriding factor here is whether the person is prepared to spare his/her life for the good of others. "Whosoever shall seek to gain his life shall lose it: but whosoever shall lose 'his life' shall preserve it."

The white poppy suggests that all the soldiers who lie buried in a foreign field died in some mistaken belief of redemptive glory. No, they died because most of them had no choice, but they most certainly did not think they were getting brownie points in Heaven.

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